THE Alliance for Change (AFC) recently suffered a significant blow yet again with a staggeringly low turnout at its public meeting in Linden—a town that was once considered one of its strongholds. This disappointing attendance underscores a deeper issue within the party and raises questions about its future viability and relevance in Guyanese politics.

The meeting, held last Friday, was meant to be a turning point for the AFC. With a high-profile address by party leader, Nigel Hughes, it was intended to rejuvenate the party’s public image and galvanize support. Instead, it highlighted the stark reality of the AFC’s waning influence and the fractured state of its political alliances.

Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton, from the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNCR), addressed this issue at his party’s press conference. Norton was questioned about whether he had discouraged supporters from attending the AFC’s meeting.
He denied any such involvement, clarifying that he was unaware of the event until it appeared on social media, and that there was no obligation for his party to mobilize supporters for AFC’s activities.

Norton’s comments reveal more than just a denial; they expose a deeper disconnect between the AFC and its former coalition partners. Despite their shared history, the professional relationship between APNU and AFC appears to be strained, casting a shadow over their once-promising collaboration.
The AFC’s decline is not an isolated incident but part of a broader narrative of diminishing political influence. The party’s Seventh National Conference in 2022 saw 285 delegates, but by this year, that number had dwindled to just 211. This drop is emblematic of a larger trend: The AFC has been grappling with decreasing membership and relevance since it ended its coalition with APNU in 2022.

The dissolution of the coalition, which had initially helped the AFC secure a government position in 2015, was a turning point. The subsequent years have seen the party struggling to regain its footing.
Internal strife and allegations of neglect by APNU further compounded their difficulties. The former AFC member’s role in the 2018 no-confidence vote, which led to the fall of the coalition government, marked a significant rift and a subsequent loss of political capital.

In essence, the AFC’s failures reflect a broader narrative of decline. The party’s inability to attract meaningful support, coupled with fractured alliances and internal discord, paints a grim picture of its future viability.
If the AFC hopes to recover any semblance of consequence, it must confront these deep-seated issues head-on. Without substantial reform and a renewed strategy, the party risks fading further into irrelevance, unable to reclaim its place in Guyanese politics.